Public Act 097-1155
 
HB5528 EnrolledLRB097 17545 KMW 62750 b

    AN ACT concerning safety.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the First
Informer Broadcasters Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions.
    "Broadcaster" means a radio broadcasting station, cable
operator, or television broadcasting station primarily engaged
in, and deriving income from, the business of facilitating
speech via over-the-air communications, both as to pure speech
and commercial speech.
    "First informer broadcaster" means a person who has been
certified as a first informer broadcaster pursuant to Section
15 of this Act.
 
    Section 10. Broadcasters. Broadcasters in this State may,
in cooperation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency
and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, or its successor
organization, develop comprehensive, coordinated plans for
preparing for and responding appropriately to an emergency or
disaster.
 
    Section 15. First informer broadcasters; training and
certification.
    (a) Any Statewide organization, or any member of a
Statewide organization, that represents broadcasters, cable
television communications, or any other provider that uses
emerging technologies may establish a program for training and
certifying broadcast engineers and technical personnel as
first informer broadcasters. Each program established pursuant
to this subsection must:
        (i) be consistent with federal law and guidelines;
        (ii) provide training and education concerning
    restoring, repairing and resupplying any facilities and
    equipment of a broadcaster in an area affected by an
    emergency or disaster; and
        (iii) provide training and education concerning the
    personal safety of a first informer broadcaster in an area
    affected by an emergency or disaster.
    (b) To the extent practicable and consistent with not
endangering public safety or inhibiting recovery efforts,
State and local governmental agencies shall allow a first
informer broadcaster access to an area affected by an emergency
or disaster for the purpose of restoring, repairing, or
resupplying any facility or equipment critical to the ability
of a broadcaster to acquire, produce, and transmit essential
emergency or disaster-related public information programming,
including, without limitation, repairing and maintaining
transmitters and generators, and transporting fuel for
generators.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.